The Pulse | Security | South Asia

Pakistan’s Operation Shaban Targets Both the TTP and BLA in Balochistan

Operation Shaban is in response to a deadly terrorist attack on July 7 in the Mangi Dam area, which claimed the lives of 27 police personnel.

Pakistan has initiated a major military operation in Balochistan aimed at dismantling terrorist networks across the province. Named Operation Shaban, the campaign is being jointly conducted by the Army, Frontier Corps, and Balochistan Police.

Operation Shaban was launched in response to the deadly terrorist attack on July 7 in the Mangi Dam area, which claimed the lives of 27 police personnel.

The operation involves ground troops as well as Air Force-linked operations that are targeting militants in the province’s rugged mountainous terrain. Since its launch, security forces have killed around 123 militants belonging to various extremist groups across the province.

There has been a sharp spike in terrorist attacks across Balochistan in recent months. Militants from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban, and the banned Balochistan Liberation Army have increasingly targeted state forces, foreign investment projects, and infrastructure in the mineral-laden region.

Earlier this month, the country’s top civilian and military leadership, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir, convened in Quetta, Balochistan’s capital, to assess the deteriorating security situation. “One thing is decided: it is a mutual and singular decision of the civil and military leadership that we must end terrorism collectively,” Sharif, who chaired the meeting, said.

Officials familiar with the planning told The Diplomat that Operation Shaban is designed as a sustained military campaign to dismantle terrorist infrastructure, deny militants safe havens, and restore the writ of the state across Balochistan.

According to security officials, Operation Shaban is unfolding across two distinct geographic fronts, which marks an unprecedented scale of simultaneous operations for the province.

In the province’s northern districts, including Ziarat and surrounding areas, the operation is targeting TTP elements and their sanctuaries. Pakistan has repeatedly accused the TTP of using Afghan sanctuaries as launch pads for cross-border attacks. Islamabad maintains that the group continues to enjoy safe havens and logistical support inside Afghanistan, which has enabled it to expand operations into Balochistan.

In southern Balochistan, particularly in the districts of Lasbela and Khuzdar, the military campaign is focusing on the BLA and affiliated separatist groups. These areas have witnessed repeated high-profile attacks due to their........

© The Diplomat